Aidyn Chronicles : The First Mage Novelization
by VirgilX
Summary: I have been writing this novel for 14 years. It is mostly complete, but I still need to go over detail editing in the later chapters. I am only going to post the first few chapters due to fear of people stealing my work. For over a decade, I have been fighting to get this published. Unless I figure out who owns the license after THQ's bankruptcy, it will remain on my computer.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1Lost Friends

The silence of the royal hallway was interrupted by the deafening shouting originating from the throne room. The sound emerged out of the brilliantly hued swinging doors leading to the throne of the king. Gabrion, dressed in his cooking attire, was thrown into the creaking entryway and entered the dimly lit royal hallway. The sound of the cook hitting the doors filled the abandoned passageways and transformed into an alarming reverberation. As the cook rushed to keep his balance, the two menacing guards shut the doors in front of him. "Yes, your majesty! Right away, your majesty!" he yelled at the double doors as they shut unpleasantly. He gave an elegant bow to the closed doors to show his respect and turned to face the lonely hallway.

The weary cook, as well as the entire castle, had been tasked to find the king's adopted son, Alaron. In order to find the boy, guards received orders to leave their post, knights were drawn from their duties, squires halted their training and Gabrion was hauled away from preparing the king's dinner. The wise magicians were required to stop all magic preparation work. Even the king canceled every important meeting scheduled for the day to search for the troublesome boy.

Gabrion felt partially responsible for Alaron's disappearance. It's been his responsibility to watch the king's adopted son since he was brought in at age five. "That was 12 years ago, the boy should be able to look after himself being a squire," the cook told himself. "Whenever he runs off, I am always the one to chase him."

He grabbed the white toque off his head to scratch what remained of his gray hair. As he ran his rough fingers through the few strands of hair, he couldn't come to a decision whether to search the courtyard, the dormitory or the armory. The smart choice for him would be to avoid the rest of the search party with the idea they would push, shove or toss him out of the way. With that in mind, he decided to search the weapon armory due to lack of accessibility to the rest of the castle. Trahern would limit the amount of traffic through his armory with the recent looting of bows and arrow. Guards, magicians and squires were cut off from the armory and had no other choice than to follow a detour of tedious hallways. The other hallways would be thin and full of castle dwellers making it difficult for fast and easy travel.

Gabrion shut the armory door with ease to avoid alerting Trahern or any stationed guards appointed by Trahern himself. After the door shut, he realized he entered darkness with only one torch burning in the room. With Trahern in charge of the armory and the training room, the job of keeping the rooms well lit fell into his hands. It seemed strange to the cook that Trahern wasn't guarding the equipment with the fuss he made earlier. However, the knights were always busy taking care of the king, training squires, catching guards out of duty, handling city affairs and their usual appointed duties. It would be hard for a cook like Gabrion to follow their tiresome tasks on a daily basis.

After lighting a few of the torches with his one lit torch, he took a long look around the room and saw nothing but pikes, bardiches, halberds, short swords, claymores, short bows, longbows, crossbows and stacks of arrows and bolts. He returned the remaining torch where it belonged as he finished surveying the room. Facing the wall, Gabrion observed a large shadow appear on the wall before him. As he turned to look, he glimpsed at a large, buff man fully armored without his helmet. His red, faded Gwernian tabard covered the shiny silver breastplate beneath. He wore glistening steel gauntlets as well as shoulder and leg plates matching the breastplate.

Startled, Gabrion fell backwards a few steps landing on the floor as the knight crossed his arms in derision. "Well, where is he?" the knight yelled. The chilling echo of the knight's voice caused Gabrion's soft ears to ring and his weary legs to tremble uncontrollably. Fearing for his life, he slowly pulled himself together by standing up and straightening his white shirt and toque. As a cook, Gabrion knew he was no more than a peasant compared to the well-respected knights and nobles. Being harassed during this incident by some of the guards or knights wouldn't raise any questions to the king.

After calming down, he noticed the brawny knight's jet black hair and scarred face. The right side of his face carried a straight scar from his forehead, through his eye and down to his pale cheek. His right eye remained open, but it always appeared white with no cornea. Gabrion fought to get a few words out of his mouth while the knight stood impatiently waiting for an answer. "Sir Abrecan! I don't know, my lord. I haven't seen him since this morning," he answered.

Abrecan was appointed by the king to be the captain of the guard. Every guard in Gwernia was under the knight's command, and his job was to assign their posts throughout the kingdom. He would also send patrols into Oisin forest to protect any incoming caravans or merchants. In the king's stead, Abrecan would be in charge of Gwernia's army and fight off any threat. The only person that could give orders to Abrecan in Gwernia was the king.

The knight unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Gabrion causing him to retreat backwards and slowly grind his teeth. "He's run off again, hasn't he?"

Gabrion could feel Abrecan's left green eye pierce his frail spirit. "I don't know, my lord. If I did, I would have informed the king long ago rather than searching the armory." The cook considered his hunt for Alaron useless, so he carried out an idle search to please the king. The entire castle was already conducting their search, and he knew an old cook like himself wouldn't be any help. Gabrion knew the fierce knight figured him for a lazy halfwit, so he tried not to act foolishly.

Abrecan withdrew his sword, sheathing it. "Who can depend on this squire? A new batch of recruits were brought in today for the guard, and the king is making the boy a priority. I have more important tasks to attend, and I would rather clean the castle water well than follow his trail."

"My lord, I often depend on him. Not to mention he is your squire and he helps with your recruit training. Trahern requires his help often here in the armory, and he's very useful in the kitchen when I need him."

"Naturally… but you're a cook, not a knight of the realm. Can you remember the last few times you saw him?"

Gabrion massaged his chin gently as he thought back to yesterday. "I remember there was the fierce duel between the boy and Prince Sheridon, but Alaron defeated the prince. Do you think Prince Sheridon killed him and hid the body? It would make a perfect explanation for the Sheridon's behavior lately, and the reason no one's finding him."

Abrecan was not amused. "Don't be ridiculous! The prince may be subject to that kind of behavior, but he wouldn't dare touch my squire," he roared. "Did he perform any magic this morning?"

"Nothing this morning, my lord, but yesterday he failed conducting a spell turning the laboratory into a nightmare, or so I heard. The only time I saw him this morning was when he entered the throne room to look at the roll of knights."

Abrecan let out a soft grunt and averted his eyes from the cook to the door. "Come with me to check the magician's dormitory. If he was conjuring bad spells yesterday, he may be trying some more today." Gabrion kept a slow pace behind the knight as they approached the doorway returning to the royal hallway.

Before Abrecan could touch the door, a blinding, bright light consumed his sheathed sword. As he unsheathed it once again, an intense glow of daylight covered the weapon. In a storm of anger and rage, he tossed the light sword to the floor causing the steel to thud noisily. As quick as the sword hit the ground, it instantly melted into a ball of fire leaving a black outline on the stone. The fireball darted in circles through the hallway; traveling from the floor to the wall, onto the ceiling, against the other side of the wall, and back to the floor repeatedly. It continued to do so until the fire eventually faded at the end of the hallway.

"You see?" Abrecan yelled, "Another silly enchantment of his." The knight scraped the remaining ashes of the sword with the bottom of his steel boot. "Arrogant squire. Do you know how many swords he's ruined? He has no respect for anyone's property, including mine. Placing enchantments on weapons is the same as stealing. And after all this, he found a way to disappear into thin air."

The amount of time it took for the two to reach the dormitory passed by quick as Abrecan continued to ramble about Alaron. He finished his ramblings as they reached the barren hallways of magicians' dormitory. There was a calm silence in the hallway allowing Gabrion to forget about every complaint and insult formed by the knight. Abrecan chose to search the doors on the right as Gabrion took the doors to the left. Every door opened by the two only greeted them with silence.

Halfway through the hallway, a gust of wind erupted from one of Abrecan's door blowing him back a few steps. "Master Bowden forbid these magicians from arming their room with these types of traps," complained the knight. Gabrion covered his mouth to avoid any well-deserved laughter. Abrecan paid no attention to the cook and progressed to the next door. "Is there anything strange with him lately?" Abrecan pounded his fist on the next door waiting for a response from the inhabitant. "There's nothing odd in the kitchen, no strange people around the castle?"

Gabrion shifted to the next door. "Nothing out of the ordinary, my lord," he responded. "Why do you think he would run off like this?"

Abrecan ignored the cook's question as they arrived at the last door in the hall belonging to the top apprentice magician in Gwernia. Reluctant to knock on the door, Abrecan turned to look in the opposite direction. "Put a guard in the main hall. Have a maid check in the observatory. Put someone in the library, and have others check by the pool," he commanded.

A small piece of parchment unexpectedly appeared on the magician's door before them. It levitated from the door and the ground emitting tiny blue sparks on each end. There was nothing written on the parchment until giant words began to appear magically on their own. "Keep out, magic in progress. This means the both of you!"

Abrecan nudged the intrigued cook towards the door. "Question her while you're at it," he said.

Gabrion watched as the angry knight stormed the hallway in the opposite direction. He felt relieved the harsh knight left him alone, but he was also drenched in sweat knowing what was beyond the door. The floating parchment rolled itself up and opened representing itself with a different message. "Keep out, magic in progress. Do not make me ask you again!" The magicians had no authority to hurt the cook if he entered, but it wouldn't prevent accidents from happening. He was afraid the stress and anxiety formed by the boy's disappearance wouldn't hold them back.

Opening the student's rusty door a bit, he eyed the large room looking for _her_. He could hear glass flasks clinking sharply and pages turning rapidly, but no one could be seen from his poor point of view. The thought of eyeing the magician affected Gabrion and made his skin crawl. Foolish thoughts were racing through his mind, and it made him reluctant from entering the room. Despite the consequences, he knew there was no point in standing in the doorway with his presence possibly known.

With his courage at its peak, Gabrion pushed the door open with a shove and advanced his right leg forward. The arc of the cook's foot caught his other leg in his attempt to step forward causing him to fall into the room. When his face touched the cold floor, he could hear glass breaking, books hitting the wall and several chairs tipping over. Raising his head at a snail's pace, he spotted the blonde young woman with her petite arms crossed sharing a wicked look. She wore tight purple breeches outlining her skinny legs and an oversized, thin purple shirt with a belt strapping it to her waist. A pair of dark black boots stretching to her calves covered the bottom of her breeches. "Here to complain?" she asked while gathering a few books from the floor.

Gabrion brought himself to his knees and helped the female magician with the broken glass. He gathered every piece of glass with one hand and placed it on the other as quick as he could. "Complain about what, Mistress Rheda?" he responded. Blood spilled on the floor from the top of Gabrion's palm after releasing a large piece of glass.

Rheda placed a basket on the ground next to Gabrion allowing him to dump the broken glass. She straightened a chair as she held the last couple of book from the floor in her arms. After dumping the books onto the table, she swiftly waved her arm raising the tipped flasks to their original position. "About the boy, what else?" she yelled. She grabbed a flask containing green liquid and dipped one of her fingers in the solution. A large drop remained on her finger after returning the flask, and she applied it Gabrion's bloody wound. "Stealing spell books, losing relics, just wait 'til I get my hands on him!" He couldn't believe his eyes as the wound began to heal itself in an instant. Staring at the closed wound, he figured the green liquid must have been one of her famous healing supplements.

The magician returned to her desk outstretching her arm towards the door and pointed to it telling the cook to leave. Gabrion wished to leave in peace, so he left the basket full of glass on the floor and scurried to the door. Before he could leave, he felt an ill sensation in his gut. He felt Rheda could be a really kind person if she was treated right, and it made Gabrion want to apologize to her. Before he could muster a word, Rheda pointed her palm towards the cook and generated a large ball of fire. Cocking her arm far back, she pitched the fearsome fire at Gabrion's head without turning her head. He successfully shut the door just as the ball of fire hit creating a sizzling noise and sending smoke through the cracks of the door.

Relieved, Gabrion let out an immense sigh as he left Rheda's door, and he felt idiotic trying to befriend the agitated magician. He could feel nothing but resentment towards the squire as he was taking the blame for his wrongdoings. A gradual burden of confused issues systematically occurring were being brought down hard onto his conscious. "Let's hope the king doesn't hear about any more of these troubles," the cook mumbled to himself.

An hour flew by as Gabrion continued to wander the castle halls repeatedly calling the squire's name. A loud growl could be heard from the cook's stomach, and his dry throat began to hurt just as bad as his worn-out legs. He could feel his moth-eaten pants slowly leaving his sore hips as he increased his pace. With the lack of help he received in the kitchen, he wasn't eating as much as he should. He could request new cooking attire from the result of his weight loss, but not without a verbal thrashing from the Gwernian tailors. His shirt was still threaded together pleasantly without any holes, however, a countless quantity of stains spoiled it.

Unintentionally, Gabrion arrived in front of Alaron's room hoping he would be inside. As he pushed the squire's door open, he hoped and pleaded with the gods that he never left his room, but the cook knew he was being unrealistic. Peering inside, Gabrion noticed the squire's armor and short sword was missing from his desk. He took a few steps towards the center of the brightly lit room staring at the bed with its neatly folded sheets. There was a large weaving of a dragon hanging on the wall reminding Gabrion of how interested Alaron was with Dragon lore.

Before he could react, another large shadow unexpectedly appeared on the wall in front of him. Gabrion rotated quickly only to notice the son of the king standing behind him. The prince stood with his arms crossed looking down at the poor cook. "Prince Sheridon!" said Gabrion in shock.

The prince crossed his legs and massaged his own hands in front of his scrawny chest. He wore a white shirt covered by a royal purple vest complimenting his maroon breeches. "He's in the woods," uttered the prince turning his back on Gabrion and walking towards the door.

"Why on earth would he go there, my prince? Might I ask how you would know this?"

Sheridon stopped in his tracks and answered without looking back. "One of the farmers is missing and he left to help the poor man. Alaron told me where he was going before he left, but he made me swear not to tell anyone. I would have kept his secret, but my father has this castle in an uproar."

As Sheridon reached the door, Gabrion stopped him again before he could let himself out. "Alone?"

After a brief moment, he turned his head just enough to make eye contact with Gabrion. "You know Alaron."

With Sheridon no longer in the room, Gabrion sat on Alaron's bed and lowered his head with worry. He removed his toque setting it on his lap and rubbed his gray hair again. The exhausted cook recalled a rumor spread around the kitchen of goblins in the forest. Gabrion knew if the supposed rumor was true, the goblins would not hesitate to kill the squire.

Deep in the heart of Oisin Forest, Alaron lost his way on the dirt path. His sole purpose in the dangerous parts of the forest was to find his good friend Kendall; a farmer who was renown in Gwernia. He was well aware of the dangers recently, and the difficulties of being cautious at night. The patrols sent into Oisin brought reports back to the castle of goblins as well as a hobgoblin. If the reports were true, no mercy would be shown if these creatures captured him. The thought of being captured was digging at Alaron's head. As far as he knew, the goblins never took human or Mirari prisoners. These were stories he heard from his younger years shared by his guardian Gabrion, so he couldn't be sure if they were accurate. Abrecan, the knight he squired for, spoke of the goblins often; how they may invade Oisin at any time, and how the Gwernian Guard must always be ready. He knew for sure the goblins would love to kill a lone traveler for sport.

The forest was once a pleasant place to explore after the king fought off the goblins and hobgoblins years ago. The hobgoblins were far more superior fighters than the goblins, just as soldier ants are naturally stronger than worker ants. They claimed Oisin and murdered any travelers who attempted to trespass. However, the forest is the only real road from Gwernia to the rest of the continent. This would hurt traders, merchants, local citizens, traveling nobles, visitors from foreign countries, farmers, messengers, countless others and would weaken the game in the forest hurting food supplies for the citizens.

Apparently, the goblins were back, and the king would have to begin another assault in the forest. The reports of goblins were too vague to distinguish if there was an army in the forest or just a large group of invaders. The reports from Gwernian patrols encountered a few rogue groups, but nothing that would cause suspicion of an entire army. It didn't require the king to bring the army to arms and fight off every danger that resided in the forest. Normally, a band of goblins could be easily handled by a single knight leading a squad of guards, however, their camp has not been found. Abrecan led several brigades in the forest ready to deal with the problem, but they came back empty-handed. Some of the goblins attacked guards as they arrived at their post near the forest. To send a message, the goblins would return their corpses burned, dismembered or savagely beaten to death. Abrecan told him it was hard to discern whether these missing guards were captured from their post or simply deserters. Discovering the truth would allow them to determine the strike points of the goblins, and if there's reason for high alarm. These wild occurrences only presently started, leaving Abrecan and the king unaware of any real danger residing in Oisin. Regardless of this danger, Alaron knew Kendall was in the woods, and he wouldn't rest until both of them were safe in Gwernia.

The friendship between Alaron and Kendall was delightfully strong. Orphaned at a very young age, Alaron led a life on the streets of Gwernia. He was forced to rob from local taverns and shop keeps to feed himself, and he was not well accepted. Kendall knew of the boy's existence and offered him food, water and shelter whenever possible. When Alaron reached five, a shopkeeper caught him in the midst of a crime. Before nearly claiming justice by cutting off the boy's hand, a local guard blocked the shopkeeper. The boy was taken before the king for the decision of punishment. Phelan, the king could not help but feel sorry for the young orphan, and he was instantly and relatively fond of him. Against all words of warning he received from his advisors, the king decided to adopt young Alaron and place him under the care of the head cook, Gabrion and the knight, Abrecan. After nearly half a decade, Abrecan turned Alaron into his squire and promised him knighthood when the time came.

The mission to find Alaron's dear friend was not only a favor returned or to prove himself to Abrecan, but to cure the worry of the farmer's wife. Alaron visited Kendall's wife, Claudia, earlier in the day to check their upcoming anniversary. Claudia told him that her husband left a couple of hours ago into Oisin Forest to find some flowers and spice for their anniversary meal. Alaron waited with the poor woman for a few more hours until his patience wore thin. He entered the forest when the sun was highest in the sky, and it recently turned nightfall.

There was a clear dirt path throughout the forest to maneuver, but Alaron had to stay away from it. Goblins would more active in the night, and he would be less visible if he remained in the trees. No scouts passed yet, but Alaron kept repeating he would be ready if he were ever found. If a scout did spot him in the trees, he would have to kill it immediately before it called any others. If by chance the scout carried a large horn, the goblin would more than likely blow loud and alert every single opponent in Oisin. The goblins would be more alert and find a lost Kendall or Alaron would be chased out of Oisin failing to rescue his friend. Any hope for Kendall would end. Supposedly, if he were being chased by a large group, he wouldn't know how to fight or outrun them. As far as he knew, there could be only three goblins in the entire forest because the reports were so vague. Nonetheless, he had to be careful because a goblin's main tactic was to ambush and flank its foe.

The trees around the path were very close together making it very hard for him to push onward. To get around every stubborn tree and progress further, he would have to travel very carefully. Sometimes he felts like he wasn't getting anywhere by moving so slowly, but he kept telling himself this was necessary to avoid ambushes. If he were to give up and return to the path, he could imagine an ambush ensue almost instantly. Alaron would have to break large branches with his sword or squeeze between two trees to move forward. Some of the trees were soaked in sap, covering his hand with the sticky substance. He would have no other choice than to wipe off the tree sap on his tattered breeches.

As Alaron made very little progress finding Kendall, he debated whether to take his chances on the path. Looking at his frayed arms, he already received countless cuts and scrapes from the sharp, loose branches. He knew the farmer didn't stand a chance against the deceptive goblins, so he himself would possibly hide in the trees as well. Once again, he had to remind himself that a sly trap would be waiting for him not far away from where he started. Taking a look at his sword, he reminded himself that he is a trained squire and his teacher is the most powerful knight in Gwernia, which made him the best squire. Asking himself whether he would be able to defeat a goblin with his sword left him pondering. Only a few seconds after the question was asked, he easily thought of an answer. _Of course, I'm better with a sword than a goblin. For all I know, a goblin can only growl and snarl at their opponent. It is time to take a stand with this sword and travel on the road._

After much deliberation, Alaron anxiously ran his hand through his blonde hair and hopped out of the forest. Stepping on the dirt path, he took a look at the back of his neck and arms noticing they were a bit bloody from the thorns he fought in the trees. Before continuing his search, he surveyed the path. Knowing goblins always traveled in pairs or groups, he didn't believe it would be too hard for him to hear them coming.

Moving along, Alaron tried to take in a deep breath, he couldn't take in as much air as needed. Confused, he raised his head noticing trees were swaying in the wind. However they were so tall, they blocked any wind from reaching down below, leaving the air stale. Alaron felt a cold shiver run through his hands. Raising his hands in front of his face, he knew the cold shiver was a warning sign of magic surrounding the air. Oisin was the last place he expected to sense any type of magic. The goblins were known for their merciless brutality, never their magic. Goblin shamans used their elemental magic from time to time, but they were never acted as scouts for the rest of the group. The cold shiver in his hands wasn't the result of elemental magic. Elemental magic was based on the four elements: earth, fire, wind and water. The result of magic via the elements would be a sudden tingling in the neck area. Different physical sensations would occur to any apprentice magician with a heightened sense of magic. Alaron's magic professor Bowden taught him what these feelings meant, and how to properly detect their occurrence. A well-trained magician would be able to sense any magical incantation without physical sensation.

Remembering Bowden's words, the cold shiver in his hands would come about when he would sense star magic. Star magic is based on the light of the planets and stars as they shine down towards the magic user. Depending where the stars were positioned during the seasons, the amount of light shining would influence how powerful the magic would become. Knowing the sensation was influenced by star magic left Alaron a bit uneasy. Only seasoned magicians would know how to properly influence the stars to do their bidding. Taking a look at the sky, the moon and countless stars were peering down at Alaron as he rubbed his chilled hands together. The presence of the star magic didn't explain why air dissipated from his lungs. He was able to breathe for air after warming his hands, but the question of why lingered in his head.

The sensation of star magic never left Alaron's hands. Alaron knew goblins would never be able to learn star magic, so the presence could be someone even more dangerous. "Hello, Kendall?" Alaron yelled. He was positive the farmer didn't know any magic, especially knowledge in manipulating the stars. Nonetheless, he may be in trouble. "He must be somewhere out here," he murmured to himself. Advancing a few steps, he caught a glimpse of a shady figure in the distance. Alaron tossed aside any rational thinking and automatically presumed it was his friend. "I spoke to your wife, she's worried. She has not seen you all day." There was no response. The body remained stationary and stared at the confused squire. In a way, it made the squire feel disoriented and misplaced. "Come over here, Kendall! Come over here now! Do you hear me?" There was still no response. "Kendall, is that you?"

Alaron was ready to run at the shadowy figure, but it slowly dissipated into the night before he could move a limb. After some of his yelling, he covered his mouth realizing he forgot his situation. Luckily he didn't draw any unwanted attention. Listening intently, he could hear trees swaying in the wind and two owls challenging each other at who could hoot the loudest. There were no sounds of voices, horns or drums in the forest making Alaron feel safe enough to remove the hand from his lips.

The mystery of the disorientation and the figure remained unsolved. Alaron could do nothing but shrug, and descend a tiny, green hill that waited for him. Terrible fear pierced his stomach like a sharp dagger as he grew troubled thinking about the farmer. The fear made him feel sick and sent a few faint tears to his eyes. Rationalizing to himself, he felt discouraged. _Maybe Kendall returned home to Claudia, and I'm searching this entire forest for nothing._ _Perhaps goblins ambushed him and they're holding him prisoner. No, goblins never take prisoners._ _Maybe this is a big hoax and everyone at the castle is laughing at me, or possibly this is all a dream and I'll wake up any moment._

Alaron paused as he remotely spotted two tiny bodies on the path. These were different compared to earlier; more like real people rather than a dim shadow. The giant trees shrouded the moonlight concealing the identity of the two. From what he could deduce, both of them were far too short to be human, but perhaps they were a couple of dwarfed men. He never knew goblins to be as short as these two, but he couldn't let his guard down with an unknown conclusion. The cold sensation never left his hands, and only felt stronger as he tiptoed closer. Quieting his breathing and he concentrated his hearing, he could hear a pair of faint voices coming from their direction. As he held his breath, he silently eavesdropped.

"Yes, the forest is quite lovely, Yuli," said the person on the left. "But foolish do not be, goblins roam the wood and trouble there has been."

"Yes, so I have heard," replied the other.

Alaron stepped close enough to notice they were two small, harmless Mirari. Their green skins became noticeable as the squire inched his way across the grass. Listening to their conversation, Alaron was able to decipher their identity as traders. Edur and Yuli were their names; traveling merchants who regularly used this path to travel to Gwernia. Edur based his business in Erromon and traded good between Gwernia and his own as well as other locations. His long-lasting trade of potion ingredients, exotics spices, herbs, minerals and information was well known throughout the kingdom. Many of Gwernia's merchants rushed to preview Edur's stock as he would arrive monthly. His companion Yuli was his sole employee, apprentice and heir. With Edur reaching such an old age, his trade business must have an heir, and Yuli would take over when the time came.

Moving a tad closer, Alaron accidentally stepped on a tiny twig making a loud snap. The Mirari jumped in place and spun around to investigate the noise. Looking up with their big blue eyes, they saw Alaron with an apologetic look on his face. Recognizing the squire from Gwernia, Edur and Yuli let out a giant sigh of relief.

"Alaron is it?" Edur asked massaging his gray mustache. "How can we be of assistance?"

"Hail, honored Mirari," Alaron replied trying to be polite as possible. His sudden realization of foolish eavesdropping made him blush. Reassuring himself, he knew there was very little chance of not frightening the two at night.

A large grin covered Edur's tiny, green face as he received Alaron's politeness. "How be you this day, pup?" he asked. "Well are you?"

"I am happy and I am well."

Edur gave a swift, expressionless glance at Yuli, then stared back at Alaron. "What brings you to the forest? These woods are perilous, goblins be the enemies of traders and squires. Aware are you of the recent troubles in Oisin?" Alaron nodded his head although the question almost sounded rhetorical. "Meanwhile, the king and everyone in the castle is searching for you."

He knew his disappearance would raise some questions about the castle, but it wouldn't go beyond a simple search. It was Alaron's mind they would forget his disappearance after a few hours. "I haven't seen any goblins. I kept to the woods so that I may avoid the road. The goblins wouldn't suspect me unless I made a lot of noise."

"Recently they have been attacking Gwernian guards and our fellow traders. Lucky are we to slip past with our spice. But our star magic does aid us." It all became clear to Alaron. Earlier, when he lost his sense of direction and saw someone in the distance, it was only a protection spell cast by the Mirari to drive away any unwelcome pursuers. The use of starlight would draw out a shadowy figure, and try to mislead any unwanted guests. A simple goblin would chase the faint figure leading it elsewhere. Alaron seemed to have deceived the spell and carried on in the same direction. Although, it still didn't explain his difficulty breathing. He let out a chuckle when he realized he didn't recognize the spell. "Even still, we must move quickly." Edur pointed his tiny walking stick towards the path declaring his direction. "Take care, pup." The Mirari turned from the sniggering squire and began their step.

"Wait Edur, I must find Kendall!" He avoided yelling to loud. The yelling might have attracted some unwanted attention. It would be terrible if all three of them were ambushed by goblins lurking nearby.

Both of the Mirari faced each other releasing bothered shrugs and sighs. "Perhaps he is westerly," said Edur with a look of uncertainty. "Or perhaps he is somewhere to the east?"

Alaron responded indecisively with a quick gesture. It was clear to the squire the Mirari wanted no part in helping him as their business required more attention. _Merchants_ , _they wouldn't even care if one of their own went missing. They are content as long as their bags are full of goods and pockets full of coin._

"We are traveling to Talewok," Edur continued. "There is a certain fish the wizards desire that can only be caught on Gwernian shores. In any case, we did not see your Kendall friend along the path. Somewhere else he must be. May you find him safely and quickly, and before the king is too angry."

Alaron froze with fear. "Wait a minute, is the king angry?" Losing himself with worry, all he could do was stare down at the dirt in trepidation. He saw himself returning to Gwernia with two months of cleaning duty in the grimiest part of the castle. Abrecan would have him scrub the armory floors day and night on top of kitchen duty. As far as he knew, Abrecan would go as far as giving him a lashing. Lashings were very rare in the kingdom, but they were done to provide in an example to the others. Alaron's lashing would be a warning to all squires not to run off, especially towards dangerous territory like Oisin.

Edur grabbed Alaron's hand with care. "Oh, you know the king, a hot temper but a kind soul."

He agreed, recognizing he was being overly dramatic about the lashing. Still, the wise Mirari's attempt to brighten up the gloomy squire aided very little. He kept his eyes focused on his feet as he kicked a small rock in the trees. "I see more than enough of his temper these days," he muttered.

Yuli rolled his eyes in disdain. "Yes, pup, and who is fault there?"

"Hush, Yuli," Edur shouted. "Can't you see the boy is worried enough?" Edur took a step towards his apprentice and searched the large bag residing on his back. "Why don't you bring some spice? We are carrying his favorite, pogerol." Edur seized a single spice from the bag and presented it to Alaron. The bright orange spice was small and thick with a clean, green vegetative stem. Inhaling, the squire deemed the smell delightful and it would make any noble envious. Envisioning the taste, he knew it would transform any rotting sewage mess into a scrumptious stew.

Although it may seem ridiculous to purchase spice in Oisin, it wouldn't be a bad idea to return to Gwernia with some leverage for his king. Alaron reached into his bag containing his coin pouch. "Is it expensive?" he asked.

Edur and Yuli's smile broadened as they watched Alaron search for coin. It was a simple delight for merchants to have a foresight of profit. "Why for you pup, a very special price I promise." Edur raised his miniature, green hand and displayed two of his fingers for the squire. "Yours it will be for two silver."

Locating his pouch, Alaron looked inside only to find a single silver coin. He lowered his head in disappointment showing the coin in hand. "I only have one silver."

The Mirari looked at each other discontent. "Only one?" Yuli slowly shook his head at Edur. "Are you sure? This is very fine pogerol. Picked it myself in the mountains behind our city. Not that easy to find, not at all."

In an attempt to please the Mirari, Alaron turned his coin pouch upside down and started to shake it. He knew no coin would pour out, but there was not much else he could do to show Edur he was broke. "I know it is the finest, Yuli, but with one silver I can't do much bargaining." Alaron dropped the coin back into his empty pouch.

Edur placed his hand on Yuli and shook his head before the boy could put his pouch away. "Very well, very well," he said patting his apprentice's shoulder. "We traders know what it is like to be a little light on coin, pup, indeed we do. Suppose we shall let this one silver piece do." Edur let the spice bounce in his hand a couple of times before he handed it over to Yuli.

Alaron removed the coin from his pouch again and handed it to Edur. The old Mirari placed the coin in his bag while Yuli handed over the pogerol. "Thank you, dear friends," the squire said with a smile. "Now I must find my friend Kendall." He bowed before the two Mirari and continued his search.

They watched him leisurely saunter a couple of paces before Edur shouted out, "be careful, pup, trained you may be, but for goblins you are not. Kill you they will without showing mercy. Ambushed you will be if too much time is spent in these woods."

Alaron nodded and followed the trail at a steady pace. Alaron debated returning to the woods for a moment until he ultimately decided to remain on the path, just like the Mirari. However, he did not possess star magic to confuse his enemy. Grasping the hilt of his short sword, he was prepared to unleash much more than a trick.

Now alone, the two Mirari gazed at each other inexpressively. "Not see him alive again," said Yuli adjusting the large bag onto his back.

Edur turned his head to watch the squire disappear out of sight and sighed. "Too bad, nice was he."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2Unexpected Company

Alaron forced himself into a defensive position after hearing an strong rumble echo throughout the forest. On high alert, the squire stood fast and surveyed the trees for nearby goblin onlookers. Without any suspicious sounds or display of peril, he placed his finger to his lips and hushed his stomach before it caused him to get killed. Rubbing his stomach ravenously after its stunning snarl, he remembered packing a loaf of bread and some water before leaving for Oisin.

Deciding to take a quick rest, he removed his pack and rested against a tree. The thought of Abrecan sending guards to every door in Gwernia pierced his mind. He felt awful the city was stressing over his disappearance. Most of the citizens were his friends, to whom he would converse on a regular basis. He donated aid now and again to the lower class, whether it would be an advance for their expenses or providing shelter within the castle. A great deal of beggars, refugees or poor would appear in the city and Alaron, generous as he was, did everything he could for them. Now and then he would persuade Gabrion to provide meals for the hungry.

With Alaron's help, the beggars attempted to better themselves. One beggar in particular claimed to be an entrepreneur and said he would set up shop in Gwernia with Alaron's assistance. After a decent meal, the squire guided the man to an abandoned shack near the end of the marketplace. Within a few weeks of shop maintenance, the man set up his business and offered his services to other merchants and travelers. At first, the man lacked capital or inventory, but the demand for his services grew. Over time, he was able to fill his shop with pre-enchanted weapons, shields and items. As a thank you, the man enchanted Alaron's short sword. He taught the boy some charming spells as well. However, this brought a new scourge within the castle as the squire tried to enchant every weapon for practice. A considerable amount of the enchantments backfired on their owners. Bowden, the master wizard of Gwernia, prevented Alaron from performing any more enchantments inside the castle. As predicted by many, this never stopped Alaron as he continued in secret.

Alaron pulled some fresh bread out of his bag. Claudia handed him a loaf before he left for the forest. As he shoved some into his mouth, he thought about his friend Brenna. She shared the same fate as Alaron, only she was never adopted by the king. Amid their time on the streets, they used to stick together regardless of their hardships. As young as Alaron was, he promised he would ensure she would always have food and told her never to stress. He remained faithful to his promise, but they lived different lives. At the point when Abrecan transformed Alaron into his squire, he became more acquainted with the city folk and quit stealing. Despite the free meals Brenna received from Gabrion, it never stopped her lifestyle as a thief. The two children remained very good friends, but grew apart in their own way. Alaron gained a reputation with the folk as Brenna continued to steal from them and became infamous.

It wasn't long before the citizens of Gwernia grew tired of Brenna. She was brought before the king for the decision of punishment. It was insisted that one of her hands were to be chopped off, but the king refused for it was too harsh of a punishment. The king allowed Brenna to live within the castle walls but placed her on probation. If she were ever to steal again in city limits, she would have to live out a jail sentence scrubbing the halls of the castle as a maid. Since that day, she obeyed the king and never stole from the city. With her abundance of free time, Brenna used the resources within the castle in order to improve her stealth and combat skills.

Alaron took the last bite of his bread and stood up. He knew it wasn't wise to eat the entire loaf in one sitting, but he didn't expect to be in the forest much longer. Normally rationing would be on Alaron's mind, but the distance between Oisin and Gwernia never required such measures.

The moonlight faded into darkness as a series of clouds took over the night sky. Not even the stars paved a direction of light for the lowly squire. Alaron was left in complete darkness. _I wasn't expecting this. What do I do?_ Pressing his back against the tree, he looked around the forest to make sure there were no other signs of light. _If there are goblins nearby, that would mean they are in complete blackness as well. Although, they may be able to see in the dark. I guess I should have listened to Abrecan when he was teaching me about goblins._

The only option Alaron could muster was to wait for the clouds to pass. In the meantime, he had to keep his eyes open for torches or beams of light coming from other parts of the forest. It could be a lead to finding Kendall or avoiding goblin patrols. As his eyes kept busy in the dark, he noticed his sword lighting up. Puzzled, he looked closely at the light as it shined into his eyes. Simeon, the beggar Alaron previously assisted, filled the sword with magic. However, it didn't make any sense for the enchantment to activate itself. Not only that, his brightly lit sword was an open target for nearby enemies. He tried his best to conceal the bright light, but it was no use.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed a dark gray fog approach from the woods. He didn't sense any magic. Normally he would notice a physical sensation or sense a magical essence if he was caught in another spell like before. Alaron couldn't help but observe in confusion as the fog met from both sides. Soon, the fog would engulf his feet and the lower part of his ankles. Breathing slowly, he rotated his head to look around. Edur and Yuli were long gone and this wasn't a trick from a goblin. The fog was something else, nothing he had ever seen. It climbed higher reaching his shins, and then his knees. Out of desperation, he was tempted to use his sword on the fog, but he knew it was a silly idea.

Trying to avoid panic, Alaron struggled to recall any of the wind spells Rheda shared with him. Her advice was easy to remember, yet not in such a frantic time. At any rate, Alaron chose to cast the spell. He could utilize it to have the wind blow the fog into a different direction. After shutting his eyes, he extended his arms in front of his body. The wind spell required a few words, but he was having trouble recollecting the syllables. "La...ka...no, that's not it. Ka...la...that can't be it either."

There was a small crackle in the distance. Alaron's arms fell to his side as his eyes opened. "Kendall, is that you?" he yelled into the fog. There was no response. He turned in several circles looking for his friend. Spinning in the fog made him feel dizzy. The sound of his breathing began to echo through the trees.

The sound of footsteps from behind alerted him. He froze and held his breath. Slowly, he moved his right hand to the hilt of his sword. Gripping it firmly, the cold steel made his skin quiver. In an instant, Alaron pulled the sword out of its sheath and directed it toward the sound of the footsteps. There was no one near him. The fog bit by bit ascended to his chest. As the footsteps continued, Alaron spontaneously swung his sword into the fog. After four defensive swings, the footsteps stopped and caused the temperature to drop. Alaron exhaled and watched his breath float away. There was only silence.

Another footstep could be heard directly behind him. He swung around, sword in hand. His eyes widened as he gazed at a transparent man colored gray. He wore garments, but it was hard for the squire to see any details. The only thing he could focus on was the bright white eyes staring his way from a dim dark head. It wasn't human, goblin or even Mirari. It was a spirit that seemed to find Alaron along his journey. The spirit didn't make any gestures, facial expressions or hand movements. It just stood there staring.

The fog began to die down after a minute of silent staring. As it reached Alaron's shins, the spirit ran back into the woods. His transparent body disappeared into the trees. Alaron was tempted to yell to it, but nothing would come out of his mouth. He closed his mouth as it began to dry. Reaching into his bag, he grabbed his leather waterskin for a drink. After a few sips, the illuminating light from his sword began to fade, and the clouds above allowed the moonlight to shine once again.

With his bag on his back and the fog gone, Alaron questioned himself and his own sanity. _Was it a dream or was I hallucinating? It could be an aftereffect of Edur's star magic. No, Bowden never mentioned any aftereffect or any kind of side effect from star magic. The forest must be haunted, and I am being hunted. Perhaps that spirit was Kendall, and he was trying to warn me_. He became discouraged again. Edur and Yuli told him to be cautious for goblins, not for ghosts. Looking down at the grass, he stood still for a few minutes. The air became cool and he focused his ears on the swaying trees. _No! Kendall is still alive, and that was only a hallucination!_

Stopping in his tracks, Alaron noticed a strange object on the ground far in the distance. Running for a moment, he picked it up and held it in front of his face. It was a farmer hat. Alaron checked the inscription inside. It read _Kendall_. The hat was dark orange and looked like something a farmer would wear. Putting it into his bag, Alaron placed his hand on his chest to slow his heartbeat. _Kendall was definitely in danger. He would never leave his hat like this. I have to help him._

An hour passed as Alaron turned from disoriented to lost. After a series of forks, he questioned his direction and decided he was progressing in circles. Regardless of being lost, Alaron knew he needed to keep his eyes open for signs of torchlight or suppressed goblin voices. The decision to stay on the path made him paranoid, but it was the best option for finding the lost farmer.

The starry sky caught his eye as he walked. His mind reached for the stars as he tried to forget his troubles. _Why was I never taught star magic? I seem to be doing pretty well with elemental magic. Bowden seems to think so, but Rheda always puts me down. Then again, Rheda is only beginning to understand star magic. Maybe she..._ Alaron accidentally walked into something on the path causing it let out a lively cry. Shaking his head out of his fantasy, he stepped backwards to see two female Mirari frozen with fear. A small patch of fresh herbs were growing on the ground and the ladies were gathering them.

Unlike Edur and Yuli, these Mirari had extremely beautiful eyes, both sweet and sincere. The squire quickly recognized the two Mirari ladies. He spotted them yesterday speaking to the castle's head alchemist, Gechina. They were fulfilling an order from King Txomin of Erromon, the Mirari capital of Aidyn. After their visit to the castle, they must have been returning to their king.

"Sister, that boy from the castle," said the female Mirari on the left. "He is a bold one to be wondering alone in the night, especially with his head in the stars."

"Good day to you, Mirari," said Alaron. "I'm happy to see friendly faces here."

The Mirari glanced at each other and smiled. "Gotzone and Zurene being happy to see you here," she replied. "And we are surprised to see you here, pup. Alaron, is it not?" The squire nodded with a grin. "Why so far from the castle? You are aware of the troubles these woods pose. Is this another one of your impulsive adventures or are you lost?"

"Lost? I know this forest like a book," Alaron lied.

"Then you know there are goblins and strange creatures here. You might be startled at any moment. We Mirari are protected by our magic, but not you."

Alaron looked at his hands as he was listening to the words of Rheda come out of Gotzone's mouth. "I know some magic."

"It has been many years since Chaos reached Aidyn, indeed. But the forces against us now grow stronger every day. More and more we hear reports of monsters and the goblins. It will take more than a few spells to match them nowadays."

Alaron shook his head. "Don't worry, Gotzone. I also know how to fight. After all, I am the kingdom's finest squire."

Gotzone and Zurene crossed their arms in disbelief. Each one of their movements coincided with the other. "Not according to Sir Abrecan. He tells me you are learning well, but not as quickly as he would like."

The grin disappeared from Alaron's face. Both of his hands made fists. "With all due respect, Sir Abrecan is never happy with anyone."

"Sir Abrecan rarely misjudges any of the king's squires," said Zurene. "If he finds you lacking, there must be a cause."

"He just does not like orphans," Alaron said with his fists close to his side.

"You are as brash as they say you are," replied Gotzone.

"Well, it is the truth!"

"You must learn from him, Alaron," said Zurene. "Think twice before you choose to fight anything in these woods."

Alaron clenched and released his fists trying to calm down. "Abrecan is in for a surprise today. One of our farmers is missing. I have come to find and bring him home."

The colorful eyes on Gotzone and Zurene widened. A soft chill of discomfort ran down Alaron's spine. Gotzone ran forward and took his left hand. "A rescue, how exciting!" she yelled. "Sister, why are the youngest squires always the most ambitious?"

Zurene stepped towards Alaron and grabbed his other hand. "It's a mystery to me," she answered. "You'll never find this farmer on your own. The forest is enormous and you will need assistance!"

Alaron quickly regretted boasting his mission to find Kendall and slowly removed his hands from the Mirari. "I prefer to work by myself, sisters. I'm sorry if there was a misunderstanding."

"I see," said Gotzone with a sad tone. "Is there any way we can help?"

"Well, if you see Kendall, ask him to try to call my name, but to be cautious not to attract attention from any patrols. If he doesn't hear from me, tell him to return to Gwernia and let Sir Abrecan know I am still in the forest."

"Be careful, pup. These woods are no place for a half trained squire. So, whatever you are doing, bests to finish it as soon as possible or even sooner. I'm sure the entire castle awaits your return."

The sisters began walking in the other direction leaving Alaron to himself. His newfound motivation allowed him to tread the path happily. _What if I find Kendall very soon and we return to Gwernia. I will be the new hero of the city._ After that thought, he shook his head in disdain knowing he must not let these fantasies affect his judgment. Kendall is all that mattered to him.

Another hour passed as Alaron felt his motivation drift away and his eyes droop. Not keeping track of time, he knew his search for the farmer had been carried out nearly all day and night. The squire stood fast as he spotted something white poking out of the darkness. It wasn't Mirari, human, or goblin. Quickly, he sprinted towards the white object and it became more clear with every step. Alaron recalled Abrecan and some of the guards mentioning a white obelisk in Oisin. Its presence made Alaron feel warm-hearted, and made him smirk a bit. Even though this was the first time he laid eyes on it, it seemed so familiar.

Alaron sighed and looked the other way. He never noticed a green body step from behind the obelisk. It stood ready for battle with a hatchet ready to strike. The squire rubbed his head and finally admitted to himself he was lost. Not only would he have to try to find a lost farmer in the forest, but he would have to guide himself out as well.

"Yahlooooooooo!" the green body yelled. Alaron shifted his head instantly and placed his hand on his short sword. It was a goblin scout. The squire jumped backwards, readied his battle stance and pointed his sword. Their eyes met as the roar of the goblin echoed throughout the forest. Alaron knew the call would attract more unwanted company, so he would have to finish this quickly. It wasn't heavily armored, only a light cuirass and a small helmet. "Fight now, human boy!" it yelled again pointing its hatchet at the squire.

 _They speak English? I thought they only spoke to each other in grunts and groans._ Alaron took a quick step back. He was a little nervous as his body swung left to right. "Where is Kendall?" Alaron asked gripping his sword tighter.

"Kendall go gone, human," replied the goblin taking a step towards him.

With panic on his mind, the squire continued waving left and right. _I need to end this now and hide! But he may know Kendall!_ With every passing second, he became more and more anxious. "Go where? What was his hat doing on the ground?"

"Hat here! Him gone! Fight now!"

Alaron caught the scent of the goblin's breath. It was very foul. A second goblin approached the squire from the rear without him noticing. It was dressed the same with a hatchet ready in hand.

"What are you doing here in the forest?" Alaron asked.

"Forest goblin country! No more farmer! No more trader! No more you! Now fight!"

"Get out of my way!" Alaron calmed down a bit and took a step toward the scout. He was ready to unleash his attack any moment.

"You go by?" The scout started to grin as another goblin approached the squire.

Alaron smiled back. "All right, if you insist." He stepped forward ready to strike.

The scout put his hand out to stop the incoming attack. "You go by after fight us. She sent us!"

Alaron froze. _Us?_ He heard the trampled grass behind him. He swung around and saw the two goblins side by side. One of them held a few darts and the other clutched his hatchet by his side. _An ambush!_

He attempted to run but was stopped by a shooting pain in his neck. _What is this pain_? He moved his fingers around his neck and felt a dart dug deep into the side. Quickly removing the dart, he continued his pace. Another hit his shoulder and then his back. Slowing down for a moment, he yanked the darts out and attempted to run again. Before he could make it very far, he tripped over a root and fell on his face. His shoulder fell on a sharp rock and filled his mind with nothing but pain. Taking a quick glance in front of him and all he could see were blurred trees. He started to feel sleepy. _This is no time to go to sleep, you're being attacked!_ Shaking his head, he tried to wake himself, but it was useless as he felt his body ran numb.

 _…I can't see…that's not right…it's only a scratch but it burns…_

Alaron turned onto his back and saw the three goblins standing over him. A loud screech came from his stomach causing him to vomit on the ground to his right. His heart rate slowed as the trees around him faded. He felt his eyes become very heavy and was tempted to shut them. _After all this time of searching for Kendall, I feel very tired. Maybe he is already safe and it is time to call it quits._ He saw death but was unsure if it wanted to take him. Unable to think anymore, Alaron's eyes closed and silently fell into the effects of the poison.


End file.
